CAN YOU HANDLE THE HEAT? MISSION BURRITO IN OXFORD LAUNCHES BIGGEST, HOTTEST BURRITO EVER

Jan Rasmussen, founder of Mission Burrito explains.

We have launched a new burrito eating challenge that will be our most notorious yet! El Criminal is a colossal 5LB burrito, loaded with three meats, rice, beans, salad and cheese; smothered like only a criminal would with sour cream and increasingly hot salsas. And to top it off, it comes served on a bed of tortilla chips.

The new challenge replaces the El Triple which was attempted by thousands of our burrito loving customers since its launch in 2012. At the end of last year we decided to up the ante and revamp the challenge. We wanted to get customers involved in designing the new burrito eating contest so ran a competition, where we asked “what would be your ultimate food challenge?” We got lots of fantastic suggestions including a 10 taco takedown and an el cinco challenge but the winner of the competition and brains behind El Criminal was burrito fan, Jon Scorer, from Bristol.

Jon was inspired by an epic sandwich he bought from a street vendor in Mexico City a few years back. Filled with three different meats, melted cheese and smothered in two hot Mexican sauces, the sandwich was etched in his memory and gave him the idea for El Criminal. Jon won a week’s worth of burritos for his winning entry, and the chance to take down El Criminal!

The El Criminal is almost twice the weight of the previous challenge and includes the full range of our freshly made salsas from mild tomatillo salsa to our very hot habanero. We’ve also added lots of tortilla chips. We believe that with both it’s size and escalating heat the El Criminal is the greatest burrito challenge the UK has ever seen.

It’s big and I’m not sure I fancy my chances! I completed the El Triple many years ago in Reading (there is video evidence somewhere!) but just now I’m avoiding taking on this one on due to the sheer size of it. Although the pressure is mounting from the Mission Burrito team! I might just need to get some training in first!

There will be many braver than me though and if you would like to attempt to ‘put away’ the El Criminal you will find the culprit at our two restaurants in Oxford (King Edward Street & St Michaels Street). It is also available at locations further afield (Reading, Bath, Bristol, Birmingham and Leicester).

We launched the El Criminal challenge last week and at this moment in time no-one has managed to complete it. We’ve even had a professional food eater attempt it and record his first ever failure. We’re thinking we might have to serve it up with a white flag from now on so people can signal defeat and surrender. Will one of your readers be the first to succeed? Come and give it a go if you think you can handle the heat!!

The challenge costs £25 and those who succeed and overcome El Criminal will receive an exclusive ‘I put away the El Criminal’ t-shirt and we’ll add their name to the Heroes Roll of Honour online. To be successful you have to finish every last mouthful including the chips, and keep it down! There is no time limit so you can take all day if you need to! Challengers can choose to be timed and have their time added to the Roll of Honour if they want.

El Criminal is a great addition to the menu. We are proud to serve ridiculously good burritos that are fresh, healthy and bursting with flavour. There is a fun and friendly atmosphere in our restaurants and the challenge provides a little extra excitement and drama.